Merry-go-round for playgrounds and the like



Sept.. '17, 1946. D. A. McDONALD 2,407,843

MERRY-GO-ROUND FOR PLAYGROUNDS AND THE LIKE Filed April 25, 1945 s Shegts-Sheet "1 Inventor Dona/a A. McDonald gmaoz fw [Ll Q llllllll! \\u w g N g d Attorneys Sept. 17, 1946. MCDONALD MERRY-GO-ROUND FOR PLAYGROUNDS AND THE LIKE Filed' April 25, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Dona/0 ,4. Mc Donald QM and 4023' WW Z? M2 Sept. 17, 1946. D. A. MCDONALD MERRY-GO-ROUND FOR PLAY-GROUNDS AND THE LIKE Filed April 25, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 In uentor Patented Sept. 17, 1946 UNITED STATES eATENr OFFICE MERRY-GO-BLOUND roa PLAYGROUNDS AND THE LIKE Donald A. McDonald, Dearborn, Mich.

Application April 23, 1945 Serial No. 589,793

6 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to amusement and fun-provoking playground equipment, and has reference in particular to a new and novel rotary whirling wheel which has the functions and characteristics of both maypoles and merrygo-rounds.

Designed for wholesome entertainment and merryment, the preferred construction is in the form of a so-called merry-go-round and is char acterized, generally speaking, by a tilted rotor with hang-ropes, whereby the users are subjected to an alternate ascending and descending gyratorywhirl.

The invention is destined to fulfill safe and sane playground requirements, is susceptible of promoting new sensations and thrills, and, at the same time, is, from a structural standpoint, sturdy, reliable, comparatively simple in con-. struction and otherwisesuita'ble for the purposes and results desired.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from th following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings. f, f

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a merrygo-round constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a relatively small top plan .view thereof, this to bring out the general octagonal configuration of the rotor.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure4. Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view with parts in elevation and parts in section showing both upper and lower hub structures andthe elements and parts immediately associated therewith.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detailed View of a modified type of hub collar.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6+6 of Figure 5. Figure 7 is a detail view in section and elevation of a modified type of fastening between the arms, guy rods and suspension ropes.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of the outer end of one of theradial arms of Fi I with the parts immediately cooperable therewith. The main standard, or upright, is denoted by the numeral Hi, this being in the form er a pipe, rod, or the like,,and approximately seven or eight feet high. This is screw-threaded at its top to accommodate a bearing head i l. The latter part comprises a cylindrical body l2 having a screwthreaded socket in its bottom to accommodate the screw-threaded upper end of said upright I0. It is provided centrally with an integral, slightly offset riser l3 reduced in cylindricalcrosssectio-nal form and constituting a hub-accommodating journal. The outstanding marginal upper surfaceof the body l2 forms a ledge and this is slightly inclined to an angle between five and ten degrees compared to the ground or other surface. This bearing head I 9 serves to rotatably support the gyratory and whirlable rotor l5. This is made up of a series of some eight, more or less, radial arms is having their outer ends connected together by appropriately constructed and mounted tie rods IT. The tie rods terminate in collars l8 which surround the arms and are provided with eyes l9 which serve in a purpose to be hereinafter described. Suitable fixtures are provided on the outer ends of the arms, as indicated at 20,these to accommodate inner and outer ropes 2i and 22. It is my idea to provide two or more hanging ropes and to make these of varying lengths to accommodate children of different ages, The ropes hang .down freely and are adapted to be grasped by the users. They can be looped (not shown) to provide hand-grips or simply knotted as shown, giving the users considerable leeway as to how to catch on and hold The innerends of the arms connect with a hub ring or collar 23 and this surroundsthe aforementioned journal l 3 so that its lower edge rides around on the annular vdeclivity or ledge Id. Incidentally, the journal i3 is provided with an upstanding, laterally offset, auxiliary, so-called extension standard 26 welded, threaded or otherwise mounted in place. This is surrounded by a cap plate 25 fastened as at 25a to the journal I3. Although, the inner ends of the arms l6 may be otherwise attached to said hub-.collar, I have found it expedient to provide simple U-shaped brackets 25 fastened in place, as at 21, said arms being pinned thereto, as indicated at 28.

Referring now to Figure 4, it will be seen that the extension standard or pipe 24 tilts slightly from the perpendicular and is provided on its upper threaded end with a marginally stepped bearing head 29. The loweroutstanding marginal and ledge portion 39 thereof serves to accommodate a ball race 3|. This ball race surrounds the upstanding annular adapter 3lla, the

journal portion 3-2 rising thereabove. Ahub ring, smaller than the hub-collar 23, surrounds said journal 32 and is difierentiated by the numeral 33. It is fashioned to rest on the ledge provided by the adapter 3|a and also has a flange portion 34 resting on the ball race 3|. This hub ring is held in place by a Washer 35 clamped by a nut 36 surrounding the upstanding screw-threaded stud 31 on the journal 32. The outer marginal portion of the ring 33 is provided with recesses. circumferentially arranged and indicated at 38, these to accommodate hook 39 on the inner ends of the diagonal stay rods 40. The rods are held in place by a surrounding ring 4| fitting in the hooks 39 and holding the hooks in the seats or recesses 38. The outer or lower ends of said stay or reinforcing rods 40 are hooked, as at 4|, into the aforementioned eyes l9 (see Fig. 8). The auxiliary extension 24 and hub structure arranged atop same provide a satisfactory anchorage for the inner ends of the stay rods permitting said rods and hub ring, as an assembly, to rotate in unison with the main rotor. As far as the rotor is concerned, it can be considered a comprising the main hub structure on the standard l and radial arms with or Without the outwardly and downwardly inclining stay rod assembly. I desire the description and claims interpreted accordingly.

On the low side, the rotor swings down to about six feet from the ground and on the high side it swings up to about eight feet. The main rotor is supported and well balanced by the ball bearing hub assembly atop the principal upright It. The outer end of the radial spokes or arms are balanced and supported by the auxiliary ball bearing equipped hub structure atop the auxiliary extendingstandard 24. Thus, the outer ends are well supported and stress, strain and load is distributed uniformly throughout the structure.

. As previously stated, two, three, or more ropes hang from the outer ends of the arms permitting thechild to catch on at his own height when the spoke is at its lowest plane during the path of orbital travel. The children by running on the ground about one-third of the orbital path grab the desired rope and continue to run carrying the rotor around by the momentum thus generated. 'I-Ience, they are lifted from the ground on the diametrically opposite sideand'return'ed gradually to the low side obtaining the aforementioned amusing gyratory whirl. The freedom of the ropes, the selection and choice in catching hold of same, either closer to or further from the central axis, and other factors of construction enable the users to obtain anew ensation. Thus. due to its structural and functional nature, the structure is possessed of features of both a maypole and merry-go-round.

Reference is now had to the modified construc-- tion seen in Figure 5. Here the main hub collar which is substituted for the hub collar 23 in Figure. 4 is denoted and distinguished by the reference numerals 23a. Here the outer perimeter surfaceof the collar is provided with spaced lugs 43 which are integral and which serve to support a connecting bolt 44 which fastens the inner end of the arm la in place. This tyne of hub collar can be substit ted for the form shown in Figures 3 and 4, if desired.

Insome instances and instead of using the selection and arrangement of elements set out in Figure 8, I have found it quite practicable to employ an alternative adaptation as is shown in Figure 7. Reference being had to this particular modification it will be seen that the view is restricted to the showing of a single one of the arms and. this arm is indicated at I6b, the same being provided at longitudinally spaced points 4 with eye-bolts 2| b and 22b to support the ropes 2|a and 22a, respectively. And, in between these eye-bolts there is another eye-bolt 40b and this is arranged adjacent to one of the marginal braces Ila. The eye of the bolt is disposed upwardly above the arm It!) to accommodate the adjacent end of the guy rod 40a.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in' conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty sufl'icient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

7 way of greater diameter than the standard, a

I claim:

1. In a merry-go-round construction of the class described, a perpendicular fixed standard, a head screwed atop said standard, said head being provided with an integral upstanding 'cylindrical riser providing a journal, that portion of the head projecting beyond the outer periphery of said journal forming a ledge-like circular runcollar surrounding said journal and resting and riding on said runway, together with arms con-. nected, at their inner ends to said collar, said annular runway being canted to subject said 001- lar to a gyratory wobble motion, an auxiliary extension standard connected to and rising from said journal, said auxiliary standard being laterally canted, a bearing head atop said second standard provided with a journal, and a hub ring surrounding said journal, together With'guy rods connected at their inner ends to said hub ring for coaction with the aforementioned arms.

2. In a support for a guy rod reinforced reellike rotor of the class described comprising a main fixed standard perpendicularly disposed, a bearing head screwed upon the upper end of said standard and provided with an integral laterally offset upstanding. journal and a marginally sur rounding inclined ledge, a ring surrounding said journal and ridingon said ledge, a fixed auxiliary standard connected to and rising from said journal, a head atop said auxiliary standard, said head being provided with an upstanding journal, a hub ring surrounding said journal radial arms connecting said ring and said rotor, means holding the hub ring in place, and a ball race interposed between the hub ring and head.

3. A device as described comprising a vertical pole, a head having a cam surface atop the pole, a hub projecting centrally from said surface, a collar rotatable around the hub and a series of radial arms secured to the collar whereby a rotor is formed, a tilted stationary. post fixed to the hub and a second rotor atop the post and tie rods connecting the last rotor to the first rotor, suspension ropes depending from said arms, and a collar on said arms to which the tie rods are connected, 7 r r p 4. A device as described comprising a vertical pole, a head having a cam surface atop the pole, a hub projecting centrally from said surface, a collar rotatable'around the hub and a series of radial arms secured to the collar whereby a rotor is formed, and a tilted stationary post fixed to the hub and a second rotor atop the post and tie rods connecting the last rotor to the first rotor.

5. A device of the kind described comprising a fixed standard having an enlarged head screwed thereon, said head having a projecting hub, a collar rotatable around the hub, arms projecting therefrom and relatively short ropes terminating in hand grips from which persons may manually suspend themselves, a post fixedly mounted within a socket in said hub, a rotor mounted atop the post, and arms carried. by the rotor and connected with the first arms.

6. In a device of the character described comprising a fixed standard having an enlarged head screwed thereon, said head having a projecting hub extending therefrom providing an annular bearing surface thereabout, a collar rotatably mounted about said hub and seating on said bearing surface, detachable means secured to said hub for locking said collar in place, arms extending radially from said collar, a post threaded at its opposite ends supported in a socket in said hub, a rotor mounted at the upper end of said post, and means for locking said rotor in position.

DONALD A. MCDONALD. 

